stories

plural of story
1
as in tales
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel he's a talented writer, but his quirky stories will never find a wide readership

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2
as in anecdotes
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally Grandpa is always telling stories about what it was like growing up on a farm

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3
4
5
6
as in plots
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work the story proceeds at a pace that many readers will find a bit too leisurely

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7
as in situations
position with regard to conditions and circumstances management is trying to figure out what the story is with the accident down in the warehouse

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stories Hassan Babar, the festival’s artistic director, said such stories should not merely serve as counter-narratives. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026 Across the research, historical examples, and personal stories explored in the book, the same two-sided GRP pattern appears again and again. — Wyles Daniel, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 For Thorpe, renewing this proposition of difference doesn’t necessarily mean more athletes, but more compelling athletes stories instead, where the players have influence and creative input — not just a standard sponsorship. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 Poetry, and stories, and two-hundred page novels about Sphinxes and bottomless pits and killer tornadoes. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 During the event, community members will share personal stories of how the Kennedy Center has impacted their lives as artists, patrons, supporters and staff. — Paul Grein, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026 Banacolocha said that series and films set in such Spanish cities as Barcelona and Sevilla typically tell really local stories, while Madrid often simply serves as a filming location without taking a key role or being a character in the story. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 The judge also has noted that some of the objectionable stories cited by the DOJ do not have to do with national security. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 Movies bring audiences across the country the unique magic of sitting with their neighbors to see extraordinary stories told on the big screen at their local cinema. — Paul Gunsky, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stories
Noun
  • Fear of the wilderness and its potentially lethal native creatures is hardwired into the human brain and fueled tales of haunted forests and murderous animals throughout history.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • And there’s good stories, different stories in there, different tales to tell.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There’s an exodus reversal happening, as seen by a growing body of relevant anecdotes.
    — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Beneath his commentary on trending topics and crowd interactions are anecdotes inspired by Brookzz’s family and his personal life, giving the debut a hint of intimacy and a glimpse into the man behind the charming grin and witty quips.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • One of the best actors working today, Coon essentially plays two different sides of Rita with astonishing range across these chronologies, portraying the past and the present of her character through distinctive markers.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • And so those chronologies are really important for me in each one of these investigations.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There were whispers and exchanged glances; Ono couldn’t make it through a single slide without a fresh wave of questions.
    — Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Shawn slept on a thin mattress on the floor of his parents’ room, lying awake each night to their furious whispers, long after the lights had been turned out.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Aron refuses to forgive Adam for his lies about his mother, signs up for the Great War, and goes to his death.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal, which launches on October 6, is a coming-of-age, roadtrip, moralistic odyssey about the lies people tell themselves and each other.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There’s no winking at the audience, no sense of camp or parody, just a lot of appealing interactions, plus some wholly superfluous tertiary plots added to expand the story to series length.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues—one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Facing third-and-long situations all day, Philo and the offense looked ordinary.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The commission voted 7-1 to direct County Attorney Tyrone Wade to look into whether any laws or policies were broken during the consent agenda vote and whether any policies should be adjusted to prevent similar situations in the future.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There have always been short books, some traditionally noted as novellas (20,000-40,000 words), yet not marketed as such.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The series currently encompasses nine sub-series arcs, standalone novels, novellas, English-language manga and graphic novels.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stories. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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